HOUSEHOLDS will have to separate their dry and wet waste when the mandatory waste segregation at source system takes effect in September next year.
The rubbish will be collected under the 2+1 collection system, where wet waste will be collected twice a week and dry waste, which falls under the recyclable category, will be collected once a week.
Wet waste means kitchen refuse and leftovers while dry waste refers to plastic, glass and paper.
National Solid Waste Management Department (JPSPN) director-general Mohd Rosli Abdullah said two different trucks would be used to collect the rubbish.
“It will be mandatory for solid waste management concessionaires to deploy special lorries to collect waste according to type.
“With the implementation of this system, we hope to reduce by 20 per cent the amount of waste dumped in landfills.
“JPSPN will work with the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation to carry out campaigns and awareness programmes nationwide to educate the public on the new system.
“We want to educate the public on the separation of wastes, especially recyclable waste.
“We also hope to emulate Japan and Belgium which have practised waste segregation for years. In Japan, the households have been trained to separate food waste, glass, plastic and paper.
“We will continuously monitor the households and ensure that they practise waste segregation.
“As they have direct contact with residents, we will ask concessionaires to help advise and remind households to separate wet and dry waste in different garbage bags.
“We will use the gentle approach to educate the public before we start imposing a penalty.
“If the residents refuse to abide by the regulations, we will issue warning notices.
“We might also consider stopping collecting waste from such residents,” he said.
According to Section 74 of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), households who fail to comply with the rules will be slapped with a maximum fine of RM1,000.
The act covers Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Malacca Johor, Pahang, Kedah and Perlis.
Rosli said the department would also reach out to residents’ associations and Rukun Tetangga to disseminate information on the workings of waste separation.
“The system is an initiative to boost recycling. It is important to separate waste to save space on landfills. It will also help reduce the cost of waste disposal,” he said.
The new ruling was announced by Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, recently.
He said the government wanted the solid waste management facilities to be improved and hoped that the system would be effective in training Malaysians to practise the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).